Loose-leaf binder



Feb 2B, 2195@ l J. A. ERM/1N ZAQA LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed Dec. 21, 1945 Iflflll IIHIHIIIIIHIIHH Patented Feb. 2l, 1950 LQOSEJLEAF BINDER- JamesAgErwin, oaky Park-,4111.

Application-December 21, 1945 g' .Serial Noa63629211y 2 .Claimsa-- (Cl. L29-24)' l... 'Ihis-.finvention..`.=relates1 to a .loose leafibinderfw and :its-Lprncipal4 object. is to .provide-u. meansrf` whereby;V` the#A binder: rmay :bena freely.. and..Y readily.: z' opened :tov` enable'. the `leaves nto `be securedthereto or removed therefromgzzandzuwhich whenf. closed effectively binds.I the :leaves within the covers: of the ibook".v infwhich. .ith'ef leaves :are bound:-K

Another :obj ect isftotprovide :a loosezleaf binder;

of simple@ and.'V substantial form, 1 which'. canzbe'; manufactured. at "ai relatively low: cost.

Another .fobj ect'is .to-provi'daa loose leaf bindeiu'i' which camv be completely I'assembledi .as f a.V .unitn and thereafter xedly secured to the book covers.

With these and other objects and advantages in View, this invention `consistsin the several novel features. hereinafter.. fully set. forth and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearlyillustrated in the drawingwaccompanying this specicationn in which:

Fig; .lis av loose leaf binder. embodying-.va simple formv of the present invention, secured-.to a lbook-.cover..and having'y leaves securedzto 'the binder;v

Fig. 3 is an enlarged-fragmental cross section taken fonthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. Lisis an enlarged fragmental crossy section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and showing the binder open, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental plan of a slight modication.

Referring to said drawing which is merely illustrative of one embodiment of the invention, the reference character 5 designates a book cover, desirably of the exible type, comprising two covers 6 5 connected by a flexible back 1.

Secured to the back 'I as by rivets 8 or otherwise is the supporting member 9, preferably comprising a trough-like metal strip, notched and curled up along one edge to provide a plurality of spaced hinge ears I0.

A clasp member I I, somewhat semi-cylindrical in form, is notched and curled up along one edge to provide hinge ears I2 which extend between the hinge ears I0. A hinge pin I3 extends through the hinge ears I0 and I2 and hingedly' connects the clasp member II to the supporting member 9. The hinge pin is secured to the clasp member by any suitable means and it is here shown as secured to one of the hinge ears I2 of the clasp member by a pin I4 extending through 55 being. made shorter than the...others to.- make...

room..for thesprings... Oneeof vthearms I;6.of.

each spring. engages behind. the. supporting... member 9 and. the otherv arm l1 of each.spring engagesthe .outer side of .the .clasp,.member. The

tension of the springs functions to urge .,the., clasp. member into its. Y.closedf position..as.'.seen..v

Onone end of the hinge pin.I3lis formeda.,

flattened ngerpiece I8"whic`h`..normally, lies. between and substantiallylparalle'l'with 'the book covers. TheA finger piece may v.beforrnedf as .a partof the clasp member asshown at Iin Fig...5.

'Ihe.clasp.. member is formed with .a pll'iralit'yy. `of substantially aligned semi-circular spaced;

ngers' I9,' .thefreeends of :which areV held ."in' close.. overlapping .contact with`V they supporting member .9.'by the'coiledLsprings.. The hinge lside of .the clasp. member is formed 'witl'ri al connect= The' leaves 20"?are provided' with.' perforations" 2l adacent'one edge'fin thelconventional'man'/ bindrthe'leavesvvithintthe bookcover;

Tomopenihe.binder; themfinger pi'ece1II8 is swung'upward from' the position seen in Fig 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, thereby swinging the fingers away from the supporting member, and disengaging the leaves from the fingers I9. 'Ihe leaves may then be removed and new leaves placed upon the fingers as seen in Fig, 4. To close the binder on the leaves, the nger piece I8 is released permitting the coiled springs to swing the ngers into engagement with the supporting member, thereby locking the leaves to the binder. With the present loose leaf binder, the leaves may lie fiat on the book covers at either side of the binder.

From the above it is apparent that I have provided a loose leaf binder which is easy to open and close, and which effectively binds the leaves in the book cover. It is composed of few parts, easily assembled and not likely to get -out of order under ordinary usage. The present binder can be manufactured at a greatly reduced cost as compared with the loose leaf binders now on the market.

Having thus `described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may having a exible back and two covers which fold upon themselves with the exible back centrally thereof to form a book, an integral transversely inwardly curved elongated troughlike supporting member for attachment with its convex face to the concave side of the iiexible back of said binder inside thereof, said integral troughlike supportmg member forming a straight longitudinally extending edge which faces the inside of one of said covers adjacent one longitudinal margin of said flexible back and forming a plurality oi longitudinally spaced hinge ears which facethe inside of the other cover adjacent the other longitudinal margin of said iiexible back, an elongated integral clasp member comprising a longitudinally 'extending connecting portion forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced hinge ears for axial coacting alignment with corresponding hinge ears of said supporting member and also forming a plurality of outwardly curved fingers which are adapted to extend through perforations in leaves to be inserted and removably held in said binder, a hinge pin extending through the axially aligned hinge'ears of said integral supporting member and of said integral clasp member, respectively, and coiled spring means carried by said hinge pin, the free ends of said spring means engaging portions of said'clasp member and of said supporting member, respectively, ior urging the free ends of the ngers formed by said clasp member against said supporting member at the straight edge thereof.

2. In a loose leaf binder of the class described having a flexible back and two covers which fold upon themselves with the flexible back centrally thereof to form a book, an integral transversely inwardly curvedelongated troughlike supporting member for attachment with its convex face to the concave side of the flexible back of said binder inside thereof, said integral troughlike support- L ing member forming a straight longitudinally extending edge which is elevated from the inside surface of the corresponding portion of said flexible back and which faces the inside of one of said covers adjacent one longitudinal margin of said flexible back and forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced hinge ears which face the inside of the other cover adjacent the other longitudinal margin of said exible back, an elongated integral clasp member comprising a longitudinally extending transversely curved connecting portion forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced hinge ears for axial coacting alignment with corresponding hinge ears of said supporting member and also forming a plurality of outwardly curved fingers Which are adapted to extend through perforations in leaves to be inserted and removably held in said binder, a hinge pin extending through the axially aligned hinge ears of said integral'supporting member and of said integral clasp member, respectively, said hinge pin being keyed to said clasp member, coiled spring means carried by said hinge pin, the free ends of said spring means engaging portions of said clasp member and of said supporting member, respectively, for urging the free ends of said ngers formed by said clasp member into overlapping engagement With the elevated straight edge of said supporting member, and lever means keyed to said hinge pin for rotating said clasp member relative to said supporting member to place the free ends of the ngers of said clasp member into open position relative to the elevated straight edge of said supporting member.

JAMES A. ERWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 398,073 Pardee Feb, 19, 1889 1,498,948 Bjorlee June 24, 1924 1,915,140 Watson June 20, 1933 2,055,273 Adams et al Sept. 22, 1936 2,244,663 Adams June 10, 1941 2,265,822 Spalding Dec. 9, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 670,416 Germany Jan. 18, 1939 

